Intro to Enameling: 8 simple techniques

This videos is long, but you learn 8 different enameling techniques, well worth the 26 minutes! Make sure you use proper safety while using a torch! Fresh and thoroughly cleaned copper are a must for this process as well. Have fun and let me know what you think!

[@suerubin8808]

People pay to learn this, it is SO GENEROUS of you to post all this on You Tube.You packed a ton of info into this video, thank you.

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I place pieces on a palette knife before sifting; that way, the pieces are already elevated and the hole stays clear. This makes it very easy to transfer the piece into the tray for firing. I have a hole punch that is made just for metal. Drilling would take way too long! Also, I got a tip from a fellow enamellist who told me that it is a fallacy that you have to clean the metal. On her advice, I tried it without cleaning and she was right. I no longer do that step...I do wipe away any char that builds up, and I put it in the kiln before working on the piece so that the metal is soft for punching holes. Then I go right on and put the counter enamel on the back, wipe any more char build up, and clear coat the front. I store my prepped pieces in old ice cube trays which help organize by shape. Hope this helps!

[@DrowSkinned]

Thank you for sharing your tips!

[@ethereal369]

You actually can do torch fire enameling on brass that has a slightly higher copper content. Brass is primarily copper. I've enameled hundreds of vintage brass charms, stampings & filigree. It comes out lovely!

[@elisabethfreeland4566]

Do you have a site where I can see your stampings? I would love to see them.

[@karenw8929]

What a great primer and options for torch firing. Just when I thought you'd covered it, you add something else. Thank you so much! You can enamel on pure copper, gilding metal (95% copper, 5% zinc), sterling silver, fine silver, karat gold (18 karat or higher) and low carbon steel.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

I'm glad you liked it!! I'll have to try enameling on sterling, I thought you could only use fine silver? Good to know!

[@sherrirowan5049]

Brilliant video. Super instruction now I am searching to buy some products to get into enameling. Very inspired. Thanks a bunch ❤

[@sk13ppy]

Wow, that's great to know! I've always admired enamelling work but this is the first time I've seen it done. I'm sure I will have fun with it after I am done with some other projects and have bought all the gear. Thanks so much!

[@charmedlife7758]

Excellent tutorial. Great detail and explanation of techniques with examples.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thank you!!

[@sylviaprudhomme5417]

Loved your descriptions and photos. Such pretty colors

[@kimlyons8550]

Thank you for the various techniques. I took a class with the crackle about 3 years ago and needed a refresher. Yours was the first video I could find. I will be subscribing to your channel and can't wait to see what else you have to share. Keep well.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thank you so much! I'm glad that you found this and that it was helpful!!

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thanks so much!

[@keelygreen6455]

OMG! THIS VIDEO WAS THE BOMB! THANK YOU. LEARNED A LOT!

[@pennymcintyre1084]

thanks for this great tutorial. I'm definitely going to revisit this technique

[@IlonaRappFantasy]

Thank you so much for the clear instructions. Wonderful technique and lovely results!

[@angelaszabo9189]

Of course! Thank you!!

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Of course! Thank you so much!!

[@theresagerman3717]

Wonderful work and tutorials. Thank you for sharing your time and skills.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

of course! I'm glad you liked it!

[@McDowallManor]

Thank you so much for this clip. I really got a lot from it in terms of the techniques.

[@donitafichter8298]

Thank you so much for sharing that gift! Beautiful.

[@cryseldaventer8567]

Thank you for a great video, and clear explanation of techniques. Eager to have some fun

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thanks! I hope it went well!!

[@besthobbit]

This was a very good collection of techniques. Thank you very much 🥰

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thank you so much!

[@alicelandsberg8736]

Great detail. I love it. Thank you

[@moodylicious]

another method of cleaning the red enamel cat & stringers mixture off the paper might be to funnel the lot of it back into your fine sifter, leaving most of the stringers behind. thanks so much for this fab demo of so many techniques!! i love the ones w/ stencils!! they are abstract green pimento olive earrings!!! fun!!

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

That is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@heathercroft9386]

Brilliant well done

[@amandavenhaus]

One explanation I missed: when you're enameling two sides of the piece, how do you prevent the previous enameled side from melting to the tripod during the torching of the second side?

[@AnaRodriguez-sd9dx]

Thanks so much for your tutoring It is very helpful

[@isbeb507]

fun to watch!

[@sherrirowan5049]

Great job. Thank you

[@mellorgray]

Really good tutorial

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thanks!

[@colibri7900]

Thank you for this great tutorial! I am very excited about those thin colorful glass pieces. What's the name of the product in order to look for it?

[@annsmith4739]

Amazing how much love an hard work you put in to making jewellery beautiful

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Oh! Thank you so much!!

[@patriciapeterson2820]

Wow! Great video!!!

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Thank you so much!

[@BluDogOzJewellery-ql7zn]

Thanks for sharing. Great vid

[@harrycaul2494]

Great video, thank you! I love the little sifter , where did you get that please?

[@babagyoza]

Hi, wonderful video! Can you tell me what gauge/thickness metal you are using, and if the enameling oil is similar to Klyr fire?

[@i4nGT]

Great Tutorial! how thick is the copper you are using for enameling?

[@iwonacharleson7071]

Brilliant! Thankyou -just subscribed 😄

[@sacrebleu1371]

Can't one use a half-round tea filter screen to sift the enamel away from the glass and save time? Some come with a fitted after use drip catcher, (bowl), and that would assist, too.

[@NiraTocco]

Can you recommend an enamel oil? I want to try a copper turtle inlay on to a beach theme.

[@danalambrose2800]

How does enamel on metal hold up when the piece is soldered to another?

[@edienorris9268]

So good

[@zamis21]

At 12:19 you got me. I love that you added the extra to it!! As I was watching the first one i kept wanting to add colors to it lol If i was to add real gold or silver,, i would need to do that first then add the enamel, correct??

[@saitdesigns]

Will the enamel adhere to the copper without the enamel oil?

[@suzannematthews5798]

Thank you, i did cloisonnéin high school and loved it. Now Im wanting. to doit again and am looking to rememeber how todo it.

[@aloryaart-o.kenanyildirim7843]

Thanks a lot, super helpful

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

I'm glad it was helpful!

[@AnaRodriguez-sd9dx]

May you use glass crushed for enameling?

[@antheaxe7340]

what about cast iron pots and pans that is Enamel and mug´s????? if it only works on copper and silvewr

[@cynthiahicks1909]

I have a question- I know how to torch fire and watched your video for a brush up as I'm getting back into the craft. What is Enamel Oil? I've never heard of it- is it the binder Klyr-fire? I tried to google and all I came up with was paint. Thanks!

[@MonaDailyBlessings]

Thank you❤❤❤

[@ratzinhatz]

amazing, slayed 💃

[@dhduncan]

Can this be done using a microwave kiln? can I use a propane torch?

[@wcc101662]

I have questions. 🤔 when you say enamel won’t fuse to the metal if it’s not copper, could you be more specific? If I used copper-plated brass, for example, would the enamel crack? Fall off? Would that happen immediately? (I ask because I tried it and it seemed to do fine, but maybe it’s going to fall off). Thanks!

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

I have no idea, honestly. I would ASSUME (and it is only an assumption) that if the copper is well plated and thick enough it would likely be fine. Copper and Brass cost about the same, however, so if you want to be safest I would just use copper. You could also use pure silver...but who can afford that, right?

[@arthurwelch721]

Can you use a propane torch

[@studiocat1079]

Thank you for posting such an informative video- lots of new techniques well explained. I do have a question though... once the powder is applied to the copper piece and you are ready to move it to the trivet....how do you do that? I may have missed it but in the video you went from paper to the torching station and I didn't see the transfer. Can you please describe how you did it or post a little video? When I do it with my fingers, I mess up the edges.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Yeah, it is a tricky little beast sometimes! I tend to scoot my paper to the edge of the table, then fold the paper down over the edge so that the tip of the copper piece is hanging off the edge of the table. That allows me to grab the edges a bit better. Then I'm just careful. Sometimes I mush it a bit, but then I just bring my sifter over to the torch area and sift a bit to fill it back in.

[@barbarasimoes9463]

You'll find that you don't need to have a stranglehold on the piece. A very light grasp will do it without messing up the edges.

[@maritealvarezlepeley567]

Hi! Thanks for share your knowledge 🙏 I would like to know if there's a replacement for the oil that you used in the video? I'm not sure if here, in my country , we can get it!

[@mellorgray]

I think it is klyr fire.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

This works: thompsonenamel.com/product/a-4-squeegee-oil/. Look up 'enamel oil'. If you can't find something, let me know. Or, if you would like me to look more into it with you, I can too! Klyr fire which mellogray mentioned works too! There are a lot of options.

[@user-fj9hz8gg5u]

большое спасибо!

[@torkko50]

Where do you purchase your supplies

[@keelygreen6455]

So; the colors before firing always look so nice and brilliant. After firing the colors go dull. What can be used to keep those colors the way that you see them before firing? In other words I LOVE that brilliant and bright green!

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I'm wondering if you're not firing them long enough--if they only reach the "orange peel" stage, they won't be shiny. Also, you could try putting an extra layer of just clear transparent over your piece and firing. That helps with a little more sparkle.

[@keelygreen6455]

@@barbarasimoes9463 thank you!

[@SC-rb2jr]

Did you mention the need for a mask when handling enamel powder. It’s so fine that you won’t see the dust in the air, but it’s very dangerous for health.

[@toastofcinder3547]

So I have 2 questions, thanks in advance for anyone who answers 1 when you say pure silver, are you saying 925 won’t work it has to be 999 fine silver? 2 my plan was to make a silver lightsaber pendant and use enamel for the blade colour, would that be possible to actually do? After watching this video I’m concerned the powder won’t properly stick, could I dip it in the enamel oil and then powder or would it all fall off? Or would I have to slowly build up thin layers or do it in long sections and turn it?

[@mikaelamurray5636]

Hi I can help! Pure silver is the best, but sterling would be fine as well. There’s not much difference price wise between these two. Secondly, to get the enamel to stick there’s a substance called “Enamel adhesive gum tragacanth” which I’m still learning about but there might be some information out there on that. Not sure how you would hang the piece in such a way that you can do the entire saber in one go but i guess you’ll have to experiment!

[@MonaDailyBlessings]

A question please? we must enamel both sides ? And, can we enamel brass? Thank you❤

[@AndreaStevens2012]

Awesome craft! One more craft addiction to add to my collection. LOL! Thanks for sharing! To be sure I understood you, the steps are to apply the enamel powder then melt it from the underside. Then you apply enamel to the other side and then you melt it from the underside that is already enameled? This doesn't burn the enamel? And does it really matter what color you use if it gets burned anyway? Also, I think I missed a step during the crackling technique. You said you applied a layer of transparent clear crackle base and then you said you already pre-melted it. What do you mean? How did you "melt" it? And just one more question, please...when you added the little pieces of copper to the already enameled piece, could you add enamel to the little pieces and fire again or are you stuck with the look of the copper? TIA! Oops, one more...what are the little shards of glass called if I were to shop for them? Is it the same as fritter? OK, now that's all. Thanks so much!

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Sorry for the delay! The school year has been busy :) The steps are correct: apply powder over the enamel oil on clean copper. Heat from below to melt the enamel. Then clean the other side, apply oil then enamel and heat from the back. Yes. The heat does damage the enamel, darkens it or makes it smokey (sometime I like how that looks more than the 'perfect' surface). So, plan for that as you do the different sides so you always end up firing the top surface last. You will see some of the color, so color can matter. Often times folks just use black on the back for that reason though. With crackle, the first layer is crackle, which I melt via heating from the back side as normal. Once it is cooled I add another layer of color on top and heat again. You could enamel the little piece of copper, though, honestly, I think I would enamel of the top piece first, then melt it into the enamel on the back piece second. The glass pieces are called enamel threads (thompsonenamel.com/?s=glass&post_type=product). I hope that helps!!

[@AndreaStevens2012]

@@a.h.szabodesigns6649 No worries on the time frame...I'm thankful you were able to reply...great information!

[@Tschij]

Maybe late, but thank you for sharing your video! I have one question : where do I get this mini-sieve??

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I got a bunch through Rio Grande. They are around $2.70 each...I keep about 30 of them in a little vase, and every time I change color, I change to a clean sieve. At the end of the day, I bring them out to the sink and rinse them off thoroughly and bring them back to the vase where they dry until the next time.

[@helenarjad1006]

Thank you for teching. 2 questions. 1)can I use my mica colors powder. 2)love the snifers??? if the name is right, where can I find them??

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

I don't think I'd try to put mica on these, unless you used an epoxy coating with them AFTER you've fired and cooled the pieces (last step). The sifters can be purchased through jewelry supply companies (I use Rio Grande) or enamel sites (Thompson). You might even be able to find it on Amazon!

[@leannepoellinger103]

How do you fire the second side without the first side sticking to the trivet/screen?

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

If you use a screen it will stick. The trivet just touches three small points on the edges, so it won't stick.

[@kimmy9695]

I’ve seen enamel over gold, from ancient Egyptian scarabs, but you said only copper or silver?

[@sydneynicole1554]

Does the copper inlay method work with other metals? or is it a different process?

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

The only other metals that will bond with the enamel are pure silver (not sterling). Brass and bronze won't work. The process for pure silver would be the same however!

[@johnderwin]

Hi can you tell me how I can stop getting trivet marks when I counter enamel the marks are from where the piece touches the trivet Thanks

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

My guess is that your enamel is too thick. With one or two thin layers you shouldn't be getting trivet marks.

[@mymythology8799]

Thx a lot! great video. I thought that enameling could only been applied from one side.

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

That is one route!

[@lazarusrex9545]

Can Bronze or Brass be enameled?

[@DrTurtleBee]

Would pottery glaze, which also vitrifies, work to make enamel?

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Good thoughts, but I don't think it would fuse to the metal. It is meant to fuse to ceramic so I image the formulas and firing ranges vary. You could always try! As long as you have good ventilation and eye protection, I don't think this would be dangerous to try.

[@EKimatH]

Do you happen to know what's the difference between fusion glass and glass that can be ground into powder? Or maybe do you happen to know if the ceramic enamel paints they use for pottery and the sorts could be used on copper/brass in a kiln? Or if I can grind two different colours of glass (we have a lot of packs of chunks instead of powders) and get a uniform powder that would produce a different colour? Or how mica powders behave in a kiln or under a torch? Or really do you have any tips on non-traditional ways to add purple into my piece if my country has nobody who regularly carries Thompson products and the minimum waiting time can be two months and I desperately need purple?

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

Oh man! I'm sorry you're having a hard time finding the materials you need! I'm sure there are other companies that make enamels. I, unfortunately, do not have the depth of knowledge you need to answer your other questions. I think your best bet would be to email Thompson enamels directly and see if they have suggestions. I BELIEVE (but do not KNOW) that the enamels used for metals are different formulations than those used on glass or ceramic. You could always experiment and see what happens, but please be careful. If two glass surfaces have different rates at which they cool, they can pop...and this can be a simple crack to a pop that sends glass shards everywhere. I know that when fusing glass this is always a concern, you have to use the same Coefficient of Expansion or you run into issues of breakage and small explosions (think shattering with force). The same is a caution in melting glass on to ceramic. I would reach out the experts at Thompson and get their feedback. I wouldn't want you to get hurt!

[@EKimatH]

@@a.h.szabodesigns6649 we are too scared to test more exotic things in the workshop - anything with lead in it for example, because we sometimes have issues with the extractor fan over the Polish station, and I can't exactly move the kiln next to a window, so anything that could possibly get fumy is off the table. But we can definitely prepare a safety sheet around the kiln and prevent cracking glass from flying too far, we actually started experimenting a little bit with crushed Czech glass beads that I sanded clean then hammered to dust. We are still figuring out temperatures but so far it seems like plain glass fire Polish beads work pretty well and the matte finish white seed beads by Miyuki seem to be about the same, so we'll try combining them and see how it goes

[@barbarasimoes9463]

I get my enamels from Rio Grande. Transparents can be blended, but opaques cannot. Certainly you can mix them together but it will never be a smooth, single color; instead, it will be spotty. Yes, I just started looking into mason stains which are for pottery usually, but apparently can be painted onto enamel and fired.

[@ethereal369]

Enameling is both an art and a science. You need to determine the C.O.E. (coefficiency of expansion) to know what colors can be used together. The COE basically tells us how fast/slow a glass will expand while cooling. If two colors have too different COEs, one will cool faster than the other & crack. Each enamel has a COE number. As long as the colors used are within 3-5 points of each other, you should be okay.

[@amitbisanki]

Use tweezer for multi color project helps a lot

[@janherring1762]

What type of torch do you use?

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

I use a mini-torch with acetylene and Oxygen.

[@johnhayes6414]

Qurious about enameling. Can you enamel about any type of surfaces. Plastic,metal,copper

[@daphne4407]

for sure not plastic, it would melt

[@Paulenannmarie]

If you place a penny or two under the copper blank before sifting it's much easier to lift.

[@M0odyBlue]

What kind of torch are you using?

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

A Mini-torch with acetylene and oxygen.

[@amania9254]

❤

[@alexdemchenko7997]

Does enamelling work on gold

[@mingbotlarue5694]

Yes - someone mentioned below it has to be 18k or higher

[@antictractors5609]

TIO ENAMEL ADHESIVE : please, what is its composition? The Rio Grande brand has no more... A big thank you. I am in France...

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

You can use a variety of different materials for this. Enamel Oil, or gum arabic work!

[@gilbertoabreu9513]

Quero aprender a fazer este

[@ligiamariagomezguzman6081]

Gracias excelente video ‘ me gustaría la dirección para compra de materiales Y mantener contacto ‘ para diferentes técnicas * soy de Costa Rica - saludos liga Gómez

[@I_Love_Dawgs]

I don’t understand all these positive comments. While explained a lot, it would’ve been really nice to see you actually doing it. 🤷‍♀️

[@valeriejewell5136]

Little bits are called stringers or cat whiskers

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

thompsonenamel.com/product/opaque-enamel-threads-for-window-glass/

[@a.h.szabodesigns6649]

I've found them called 'threads'

[@birdshenanigans8506]

Better shirt would be a start...?

[@SonneCreations]

“You can only enamel on copper and pure silver?” Really? That will come as a surprise to Amy Roper Lyon and Falscher Fusiger and many others who do amazing work on 18k and 24k gold. Or Cynthia Eide who does amazing work on Argentium Sterling Silver. You might want to update yourself.

[@angeladee8789]

Applying logic, students do not learn on 18 or 24k gold and argentinium is a niche material not a beginner jewellery smith material.